Rachel chepe: The Black Box
by Cressida Du Couldray
Summary: A vampire relizes her demonic decent an lookes to her past to save her futre


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1 Rachel Chèpe  
  
1.1 The Black Box  
  
The Creature was that not of this world. Or was it? The answers lie in nosgoths past. Back in a time lost to the races. For the answers I seek lie in a time well before Yanos Aldron, before he was summoned and before he became the tenth guardian, the guardian of the sword of life. Yanos Aldron, a name only found in reverence, his time had long past. These structures lay a decaying ruin. The building that she had wandered into was an ancient alter for some sort of worship. Like the others tombs she had visited a barrier of some sort had sealed it off. I soon discovered at the last tomb there were markings on the doors. A distinct sword known to me only as the sword of light, it was the key.  
  
Upon entry of the building I ascended into a deep cavern. It almost looked like a cathedral. Torches lighted the walks and there was some thing very peculiar about the walls of this underground city. The walls were painted in murals. Completely covered by them. They told a story. There were images of a great war. These creatures. They had a striking resemblance to my own brethren. The creatures had rough blue skin. There were but three digits more like claws, and yellow hoofed feet. It was distinct that this was an ancient bloodline of her brethren. These creatures were more vampureick than us though. As it would seem they were demonic angels that fell to the sword of evil.  
  
The Beast had pointed ears and two abrupt pointed bumps almost like horns atop the middle of her head evenly spaced above the eyes. All the while I had neglected to notice the most interesting thing of all. It was this that had her puzzling over the murals. While this creature was very similar in its appearance. It had two very large feathered wings that sprang from its back. As if they were guardians of some sort.  
  
"Ancient angelic relics of the past, I wonder what significance they have."  
  
I walked slowly and cautiously through the next corridor. This corridor let out into a vastly large room. The room was round and led around a circle. The walls had a series of murals with a distinct creature. It was like the others in the last room but this one was distinctively feminine and was the center point in this series of paints. Separating the outer ring with the murals were pillars. Nine of them they were evenly spaced in a circle. If you were to walk out from the under overhang the pillars followed up to a chapel domed ceiling. There in the center of the room was an altar. A strange bowl lit with a luminous blue flame. Holding the blade in my hand I could feel the wraith of the blade pulling, drawing itself near the flames.  
  
"Were has this sword been? What lies ahead for me if I continue to raid these sacred tombs? Will the heaven get angry with a lonely thief?" I wondered.  
  
"Ahhh," surprised from the swords force I pulled even closer to the blue bowl. My pale blue arms lunged the life razor into the blue flames bathing the blade. A strange Glow arose from the bowl engulfing the blade. A sonic pulse shot out from the blade smashing the near by stain windows. I stepped away from the altar stunned. The blast had drained my energy. Lying there on the floor running short of breath I felt my arms and body growing stronger.  
  
I stood up and noticed the blade. It was glowing bright pale blue. I felt a strange sensation arouse in my back just under the fall of my purple hair. A shot of pain ran through my body as two elongated sticks poked out through my back. I could feel my physique re- arranging to accommodate the changes. The sticks grew and feathers started to bud on them. I was growing wings. The transition took only a moment but seemed like an eternity.  
  
"Razziel…"  
  
"I see you have learned how to baptize your blade!" a voice rang.  
  
"What?" I turned to look but the figure was to quick. He jumped up and flew up through a corridor in the ceiling. Without pause I stretched my new wings and leaped into the air instinctively following with the new gift the blade had given her. The corridor was several hundred feet above the abbey. A narrow passage lead up and over into a large chasm.  
  
The feeling of flight was completely liberating. I could feel its rush consuming my every move. Such elegance and grace, moving fast and swift I quickly gained confidence and sovereignty over any obstacles that may lie in my future, or past for that matter. I followed the legendary creature up on to a high ledge.  
  
"You do know Yonos Aldron is not dead?" the figure paused a moment. "Or at least not yet for that matter."  
  
"What do you mean? Who are you? What is this place? Answers now!" I raised my sword.  
  
"Ah yes all in good time my child. You shall have the answers you seek. It is simply a matter of the means to get them. What you have stumbled into is an elemental altar for the Reaver of Elemental forge."  
  
"The Soulreaver?"  
  
"Yes. That sword you carry with you. You see at nosgoths beginning an ancient race of blue winged beast, much like you and myself created six elemental altars that the blade could be forged in, light, darkness, Flight, fire, water, and sound. Then as the race dwelled in numbers they created a secret forge for its descendants. As a race progresses in time it becomes more divine and less humane. The altar by which you have stumbled is the altar of flight. Once the blade is forged in the elemental altar it my be renewed with its element by intertwining it with its element."  
  
"Yes, but what of the murals? How old is this place?"  
  
"This place is older than my time and me. The structures here were made for winged beast. We, my race have been long since forgotten. Referred to in writings as the Divine Angel. We built this place as a sanction to preserve our ways of life…"  
  
"Your way of life… you mean there are more creatures like you?"  
  
"Y- Yes and no. The humans of these lands are among the newest of races and fear what they do not understand. In the stories you have read we exist but the humans have rewritten them. Changed us into winged humans. It's ironic that you look just like a human angel."  
  
"Yeah, only I have blue skin two small bony horns and a nice set of wings."  
  
"The vampires of this land grow more and more humane."  
  
I looked over at the strange beast. Can I trust him? What game is he playing? I looked around the chasm. It was a small refuge. This part of the hidden temple moved up the side of the mountain. A couple hundred years ago there was a great vampire purge and those that were left ran to the mountains for sanction. What is it that this beast wants of me?  
  
I set out towards the northern hills. I had discussed many things with my newfound friend. He had asked me to do him a favor and in return he would show me the entrance to the fire forge.  
  
"Halt who goes there?"  
  
A strange beast marched towards me. I recognized him it was my brother Jeremiah.  
  
"Dear brother what's with the outfit?"  
  
"I joined the Romonshire."  
  
"What the hell is a Romanshire?"  
  
"We're a group of travelers, there's about thirty five of us. When the king loses something we find it and collect a bounty."  
  
"Basically a couple royal guards that went foul and the cities worst thieves and murderers in a group on conquest. And what is it that they seek to obtain?"  
  
"The Heart of Orupis." My demonic younger brother said.  
  
"That's strange so am I!" I found it strange running into my own little brother. I had taught him lots of magic spells and he taught me lots about defense. I guess its no wonder that the lad ended up fighting others causes. At least he's out of the city and out of trouble. "What is it that you need the Black heart for?  
  
"Oh we don't need the heart. Just the inscriptions on the box it's detained in." My brother hesitantly replied.  
  
His quest not as riches as I had hoped, it seemed that this was a group of the cities thieves and criminals. There was a high reward from the king for the one who brought him the box. He cared nothing of its contents. "Why do you risk your lives for a king who will beseech you?" I shouted to the group of wanderers. "You search for a box when the real treasure is the heart inside of it.  
  
"We have no use for a rotting heart… We need money to feed our wives and children not some stupid artifact…" the men ranted.  
  
"What if I told you that I have here 500 gold Florence to the men who assist me in getting the heart."  
  
"What's so special about this heart?" a man asked.  
  
"This black heart, in the chest of Orupis still beats but only in that chest. And if placed back into the body of Yanos Aldron the good king of the past will return to take the throne and dismiss your unruly king."  
  
"Do we get paid?" another man asked  
  
"You get more than paid! You become lieutenants in the new order."  
  
The men cheered and then started back up the mountain. My brother walked over to me.  
  
"They actually believed you. Most impressive." He replied in my ear.  
  
"They know what they need to know," I said softly. Jeremiah slowly walked around my horse and his jaw dropped in awe. "What's troubling you?" I asked.  
  
"Tell me why you ride when you can fly? ……Ha ha how?" he stuttered.  
  
"Relax I'll explain later"  
  
We walked for miles. We reached the cave entrance at nightfall. We only stopped once because of an ogre. Two men were killed. The mild battle was good practice for what was to come.  
  
"I sure hope you know what your doing!" My brother sat down next to me.  
  
"What do you mean?" I said as I ate.  
  
"This masquerade your putting on in front of these men."  
  
I looked at him, "What makes you think it's a masquerade?"  
  
"What makes you think I Think it's not! I don't know who you think your fooling with your fooling with your righteous pilgrimage. Don't think I don't see through you. You're a thief and you always will be. What do you really need this artifact for?  
  
" To restore our race! And bring…"  
  
"Bull Sh*t!" my brother threw up his hands. "We'll see tomorrow."  
  
I sat and wondered about the events that lay before us. Obtaining the heart would be rather easy. There was an Anchroctose that guarded the caves entrance. Then inside the cave there was supposed to be a couple dozen men with sticks and a sorcerer. The Ancrotose is basically a giant lizard sort of like a dragon only it bears a hard shell around its body. They have the claws and the teeth but how ever they do not spit fire. This was to our advantage. I would send our troops to the front of the cave to distract the beast. I would send fifteen of them with the beast along with my brother Jeremiah. It was his job to keep the beast contained. I would sneak in and find the heart.  
  
We arrived at the cave entrance the following night. It was a few hours before dawn. The first fifteen Men And Jeremiah set out into the cave. I stayed hidden with the rest of the troops in the sanction of the shallows in a nearby pond. I could feel the calm waters surround my legs as we waited. There was a large roar from the bellows of the cave and it had begun.  
  
Jeremiah came running out of the cave holding a torch followed by his troops. The troops shot arrows at the beast. The arrow didn't puncture the animal's skin but made him just as mad. I noticed that there were only ten men running with my devious brother. Jeremiah stopped. He turned and waved his torch.  
  
"Go Go Go!" I shouted at the rest of the ghouls. And armed with crossbows, swords, shanks and axes they ran into the cave to fight of the guard. I followed I turned back and watched Jeremiah and his troops. Jeremiah shot a thunder ray at the Ancrotose and moved him just over a shartrest on the ground. I watched him gallent his torch into the ground and murmur in a faint whisper the spell I'd shown him so many years before. I ring of flames rose up surrounding the giant dragon turtle. All of a sudden there were giant cross bows firing tree size arrows into the side of the beast.  
  
I crept in the shadows of the cave. Their men are no match for our vampirrick race. They were very strong in numbers though. I swung my sword into the nearest man. He fell to the ground in agony. I could see the humans were well prepared for they had a good means for killing us. I found the corridor I needed and followed it. There was an unsuspecting guard in the doorway. He carried a curves psyche blade and a chrome shield. His mesh armor and vale was black. The man had neglected to wear his protective helmet witch lay restfully on the stone table just beyond the doorway. I crept up behind the fool and grabbed him with my superior strength. I opened my mouth wide and lengthened my canines. My stained white teeth sank into the mans warm soft flesh rupturing his carotid artery. The man fell to the floor gasping his neck and gagging for air. It was a old myth that vampire races drank the blood of the living to survive. But and age old traditional way of killing to keep the humans in check. Our very own hallmark if you will.  
  
The chest was suspended atop an alter up in the roof of the cavern. The only way to retrieve this item was to fly.  
  
"aaah" I was struck from behind. I turned my head just in time to see another thunderous blast aimed for my head. The sorcerer. I had forgotten him. I leaped forward Reaver in hand.  
  
"You actually thought you could steal the heart…" The sorcerer rambled on.  
  
I swung my sword at the magician. It landed two feet in front of his head.  
  
"I have a protection orb! Hah hahahaha," He shrieked.  
  
I darted away but as I ran for sanction the mad magician struck my wings. They burned and plummeted to the ground. I took cover under an over hang. There was a dispell casting in my pouch and I read it aloud.  
  
"Hanok tu mon rah… Je la frontuse ah le frontuse… Prolose turok sha Re nah!" My voice boomed as I slid out of hiding. I tossed a pellet from my belt out and chanted, "poluke Jerumenos." A large flash exploded in the room. The sorcerer was immobilized. He could not talk or move only watch in fear as to what I would do to him. I then felt a growth in my arm. The Reaver started to glow. I lunged it in the air and felt its presence in my mind. A strange green light arose from the sorcerer. His skin grew pale and his eyes grew faint. The Reaver was devouring his soul.  
  
"What happened?" Jeremiah said as he came stumbling into the room.  
  
"We're done my wings are gone and we can't get the chest."  
  
"What's wrong with your sword?" Jeremiah exclaimed.  
  
The sword had turned blue as it did before. I remembered what the Elder Creature had told me. "Once the blade is forged in the elemental altar it my be renewed with its element by intertwining it with its element." I murmured then looked around. "There!" I shouted. In the corner of the cavern was an elemental forge. The bowl vase contained a blue flame.  
  
Leaning forward I passed the sword through the flame. I felt a strange sensation arouse in my back just under the fall of my purple hair. I pulled it aside and watched. A shot of pain ran through my body and down my spine as two elongated sticks poked out through my back. I could feel my physique re-arranging to accommodate the changes. The sticks grew and feathers started to bud on them. My wings grew. I stretched them out strengthening them in the air of the majestic cave. The transition took again, only a moment.  
  
I jumped up, my wings spread forward thrusting me into the air. The chest waited for me at the top of the cavern. With the Anchrotose dead and no more guard leaving the cave would be a walk in the woods. The real trouble would be getting back to the Elder Creature with the box and heart still intact. 


End file.
